A high-energy instrumental track, Wild Chase, brings together Hindustani classical and American bluegrass, as slide guitarist-composer Prakash Sontakke and bassist Keith Peters, who has long worked with composer AR Rahman, take their collaboration to a global audience. The track, slated for release on March 31, pushes back against the notion that Indian classical music is slow or inaccessible, presenting it instead as fast, engaging and full of movement.
The story of the track begins in Bengaluru, where a simple plan turned into a late-night recording session at Sontakke’s home. Peters, who happened to be in the city, dropped by and recorded his part in just a few takes. For Sontakke, Wild Chase has been around for years before this version. When he finally decided to put it out, the collaboration felt obvious and organic. “It’s a track I had composed long ago and performed live regularly. But I never released a recorded
version. This composition needs a certain technical finesse and dexterity and Keith was the natural choice. It’s a challenging piece and I knew he would bring the right energy to it,” Sontakke, also known for his contribution to Grammy-winning albums, most notably the 2015 Best New Age Album Winner, Winds of Samsara, shares.
Peters, known for his work on songs like Chinna Chinna Aasai and Pachai Nirame, went with his instinct while working on the track. He first heard it while travelling and let it stay in his head before recording. “I just listened to it and kept it in my mind. When I went to the studio, I played over it…two or three times and it was done,” he says. In fact, his part came together in minutes.
The track is built on Hindustani classical phrasing with elements of bluegrass and country running through it. Sontakke’s deeper understanding of Indian music helped him with the combination, as he says, “If Indian classical music is explored in depth, elements of every form of music in the world are within it. You can find traces of bluegrass, Western classical and even African music. It’s all bringing those elements out and presenting them.”
Between the conversation, Sontakke also recalls a moment of recognition from pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph that caught him off guard. “I was surprised because I had no idea he knew about me. I’ve always been a great admirer of his and suddenly I heard he had spoken about my music. Maybe he heard me years ago and has been following my work, and I didn’t even know,” he says with softness in his voice.
In its true essence, Wild Chase is driven by energy and interaction. In Sontakke’s words, it’s like two people chasing each other. “There’s constant interaction between the instruments. That’s what gives the track its drive. You can listen to elements of of Jerry Douglas (American guitar player), who uses this particular hammer-on technique in bluegrass. It’s a typical slide guitar technique, which I use extensively in my track. You will get the combination of bluegrass, country and then a little bit of tihai, the Indian classical element,” he explains, describing the way the slide guitar and bass move through the track, further adding, “People often assume Indian classical music is boring or too heavy. I wanted to break the perception and create something peppy that still stays true to the form. This one is energetic, fast and engaging.”
Even then, there was a clear direction to follow. “Prakash showed me the raga, so the idea was to stay within those notes. You just go with the wave,” Peters says.
As the track heads for a global release, both musicians are looking ahead to how it will be received. For Sontakke, the focus is on staying true to his music. Peters keeps expectations simple, as he says, “It’s exciting to see what comes of it. Fingers crossed.”